Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..
Cloudy skies this evening followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Western Kentucky right-side hitter Kenadee Coyle (33) and middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) jump to block a spike by Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer during the Hilltoppers’ 3-0 loss Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Katie Howard (26) serves the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
The Western Kentucky Lady Tops celebrate a point scored by middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) in their 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky defensive specialist Abby Schaefer (15) bumps the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball over Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs (1) serves the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky rightside hitter Kenadee Coyle (33) spikes the ball as Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) jumps to block her in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Katie Howard (16) spikes the ball as Louisville opposite Aiko Jones (15) jumps to block it in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs (1) bumps the ball during the Hilltoppers’ 3-0 loss to No. 3 Louisville on Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Western Kentucky middle hitter Katie Isenbarger (20) jumps to block a spike by Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball past Louisville middle blocker Cara Cresse (13) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky right-side hitter Kenadee Coyle (33) and middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) jump to block a spike by Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer during the Hilltoppers’ 3-0 loss Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Katie Howard (26) serves the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
The Western Kentucky Lady Tops celebrate a point scored by middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) in their 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky defensive specialist Abby Schaefer (15) bumps the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball over Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs (1) serves the ball in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky rightside hitter Kenadee Coyle (33) spikes the ball as Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) jumps to block her in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Katie Howard (16) spikes the ball as Louisville opposite Aiko Jones (15) jumps to block it in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky outside hitter Paige Briggs (1) bumps the ball during the Hilltoppers’ 3-0 loss to No. 3 Louisville on Wednesday at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Western Kentucky middle hitter Katie Isenbarger (20) jumps to block a spike by Louisville outside hitter Anna DeBeer (14) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Western Kentucky middle hitter Lauren Matthews (5) spikes the ball past Louisville middle blocker Cara Cresse (13) in the Lady Tops’ 3-0 loss (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. (Grace Ramey/gramey@bgdailynews.com)
Wednesday’s top-25 volleyball matchup at E.A. Diddle Arena didn’t go as many anticipated.
No. 3 Louisville and No. 22 Western Kentucky met in front of 3,811 fans on WKU’s new Taraflex court, and the Cardinals claimed a 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) straight-set victory.
“We never gave ourselves a chance to win,” WKU head coach Travis Hudson said. “It was very much the opposite of what I think a lot of people anticipated that match to be. I don’t think either team played particularly well, to be honest. I think Louisville would say the same.”
WKU (3-1) finished with a 0.000 hitting percentage and was in the positive in only the third set after finishing last year second nationally in the category. The Hilltoppers, who are replacing seven players from last year’s team, finished with 13 service errors – five in each of the first two sets – while Louisville had nine, but added nine aces. Lauren Matthews finished with eight of WKU’s 24 kills and Paige Briggs added five, while Callie Bauer finished with 18 assists.
“This is about as nightmarish a box score as you can look at – no aces and 13 errors. That alone keeps you from having a chance to win games,” Hudson said. “In serve receive we had nine reception errors. We just didn’t handle the ball well on first contact. As I talked about before the game, when you handle it poorly on first contact, then you become predictable.”
Louisville (4-0) hit .183 for the match and was led by Anna DeBeer with nine kills. Claire Chaussee added seven and the pair each recorded two aces, as did Elena Scott, who finished with a match-high 16 digs. Raquel Lazaro had 22 assists.
“If you would’ve told me before the match that Louisville was going to hit a .183, I would tell you we might get them tonight,” Hudson said. “Defensively, that part of it is really, really good. It’s about the only thing that’s good coming off this box score, but anybody that knows volleyball knows you’ve got to take care of first touch and we certainly didn’t do that tonight.”
Louisville got off to a fast start, jumping out to an 8-1 lead and forcing Hudson to call his first timeout. The Cardinals added to their run to make it 10-1 before the Hilltoppers started chipping away. WKU used a 5-1 run to make it 14-7 and scored 11 of the final 19 points in the opening frame, but the Cardinals’ big early lead was too much to overcome and the visitors took a 1-0 lead in the match.
WKU kept things close early in the second set and led 10-9, but the Cardinals reeled off a 9-1 run and eventually closed out the set 25-15. The Cardinals scored 16 of the final 21 points. Louisville, after hitting -0.105 in the first set, hit .241 in the second.
The two top-25 teams were even 16-all in the third set, but a kill from DeBeer kicked off a 9-1 run to close out the match. Louisville’s offensive efficiency increased as the match went on, and it finished hitting .348 in the third.
“We weren’t ready – that’s the best way to say it – we weren’t ready for this moment yet,” Hudson said. “But I hope people around college volleyball think that’s who we are because we’ll see you later is all I can tell you. I know what our team is and I know what our makeup is. We weren’t ready for this moment yet and it’s my job to get in the gym and help them to continue to grow and learn and let them know the sky didn’t fall. We’ve just got to get back up and keep grinding. We will.
“We knew who we were coming in. We know that when it goes bad ball control-wise we don’t have the depth to have places to turn. We are what we are, but I like our kids. Just stick around. We’ll get back to a moment like this and we’ll be a much different team.”
A bright spot in the match for WKU came in the third set when Briggs recorded the 1,000th kill for her career.
“I didn’t even know,” Briggs said. “That was crazy. We were in like a challenge and Travis just looked at me like, ‘Congrats, kid.’ That’s a big deal. It’s kind of surreal.”
Louisville is scheduled to host the Cardinal Classic this weekend, where it will face San Diego and Ohio State on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
WKU is next scheduled to head to Bowling Green, Ohio, for the Hampton Inn Invitational this weekend, where it will face DePaul, Bowling Green and Northern Kentucky.{&end}
– Follow sports reporter Jared MacDonald on Twitter @JMacDonaldSport or visit bgdailynews.com.
The Lady Tops lost 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-17) to No. 3 Louisville at E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky., on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. WKU…
Covering Western Kentucky University athletics for the Bowling Green Daily News.
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